Millennium Eclipse
by Andrew Joshua Talon
Summary: The scars of Luna's past are not so easily healed by a rainbow. In the present, Celestia asks about the events that led to her fall, triggering a flood of memory of past glories and tragedies, loves and losses.
1. Chapter 1

**Millennium Eclipse: Chronicles of Luna's Fall, chapter 1**

**A My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic Fanfiction**

**By Lucky Stampede**

**DISCLAIMER:This is a non-profit fan-made work of prose. My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic is the property of Hasbro. Please support the official release.**

**Author's Note: Written for NaNoWriMo, edited for readability.**

**Uploader's note: This fic is the labor of Lucky Stampede, my friend who asked me to host his story on my account. So please direct all praise to him, not me.**

* * *

"Once upon a time, in the magical land of Equestria there were two regal princesses who created harmony across the land..."

Luna read the words in a daze.

"All lies..." she said quietly. She pressed a hoof to her forehead to hold back a growing headache, but it didn't work. She gritted her teeth, breathed deep, and slowly counted down from ten. She tried to push aside thoughts of all that was left out of the tale. There was no mention of the Knights of Harmony. No mention of the Second Battle of Stalliongrad. No mention of the founding of Everfree. There was absolutely no mention of...

At the last incomplete thought, the dam broke. She screamed an inarticulate cry of frustration and hurled the book across the room, scattering other books from the table in front of her. It smashed into a wall, bounced off, and flopped on the floor. It fell open to a page of her eyes...her other eyes, the ones with slits like cats. She stared into them as they stared back at her. At least they got that part right.

She sighed, and remembering the last time she lost her temper here, took several deep breaths as she'd been trained. She left the storybook sitting against the wall as she began gathering the other scattered tomes. She could get that one last.

Suddenly, the librarian Dusty Stacks flitted in. "See here now, I don't care who you are, if you think you can make a ruckus in my library, you have another thing coming."

The grey pegasus with a brown mane was talking with his eyes closed as he shouted, "This is my library. I am Canterlot's chief librarian and my word..."

He opened his eyes, and saw the tall, regal form of Princess Luna. Her midnight blue coat, her mane of stars, her horn and wings marking her as an alicorn, and her black crown marking her as Princess of the Night.

"My word...my word...PRINCESS! Oh dear...sorry, I'll just get that book for you..." he flitted over to the book on the floor, but recoiled as she picked it up with her telekinesis.

"No, quite alright. Dusty Stacks, we...I insist that you treat me no different from any other pony. What would thou..._you_ do to any other pony who hath hurled a book across the room in a fit of pique?"

He blanched. "I, uh...I'd probably just let them off with a warning...Maybe ask them to leave, just for this day..."

Luna's eyes narrowed.

Dusty Stacks rubbed the back of his head nervously, "...Maybe ban them..."

Her eyes were thin slits and her ears flattened back on her head.

"...Throttle them with my bare hooves..."

Suddenly, Luna forced a chuckle out to lighten the tension. Celestia had been trying to get her to see the humor in these situations more. She said it would help her relax and not repeat the Nightmare Night incident in Ponyville. The blue alicorn forced a reassuring smile, but the result was more reminiscent of a particularly sultry shark.

"Oh, that would be a sight, would it not?" He winced so hard he nearly dropped out of the air. She dropped her pleasant demeanour. "Fine then. If you do not have the courage to do so, we will ban ourselves from this library, at least for the day. I have business to attend to elsewhere."

Princess Luna stood, and moved to place the book on the shelf. She hoped her lack of retaliation and self exile would reassure him, but doubted it. Her history, her demeanor, all combined to make her far more intimidating even than her sister, and while most of the staff had adjusted, there were still complications.

As she levitated the book back to the shelf, Luna noticed something she had missed earlier. Her eyes went white, she flattened her ears, and huffed as she saw the name on the book. She whirled around at the librarian, who upon seeing her blank white orbs immediately went stiff and fell to the floor in shock. She sighed, counted again, and spoke calmly.

Luna closed her eyes as she spoke, "Dusty Stacks, I am sorry. I am in no way angry at you."

"W...well, that is good!" he said, twitching.

"I was once friends with the royal Canterlot librarian, back in the Classical era." She said, walking over to the stricken pegasus and thrusting out a hoof at him for support. "I would hope that we, too, could be friends someday."

"Okay! Friends! We are will be!" he said manically, wincing away from her hoof like it was a deadly weapon.

She sighed yet again. "I'd...best leave you alone for the time being."

Luna walked out of the library and spared a glance back as Dusty Stacks regained his composure. She shut the door behind her and tried not to think about Starswirl IV and what had occurred in the library so long ago. Celestia was the focus of her attention now.

* * *

Luna found Celestia out on the castle grounds, staring out at the willow pond. The pond flowed out into the moat through the castle walls, and was shaded by several willow trees, more than had existed a thousand years ago. The pure white alicorn dipped her snout into the magically clear water and daintily took a drink as she reflected peacefully.

"Tia?" Luna said.

"Luna! How good it is to see you," Celestia said, turning and standing to greet her sister. "Are your studies going well?" She smiled beatifically.

"Sister, we need to talk." Luna replied sternly.

Celestia's smile did not change, but it left her eyes. "Luna...what troubles you this day?"

"You have _lied_." Luna snapped.

"I do that often," the sun princess laughed. "It's one of my endearing traits."

Luna did not laugh, did not smile, her frown only deepened, "I was reading a book...a _foal's_ book, on Equestrian history. My history. _Our_ history," she said, pacing back and forth.

The midnight alicorn impatiently flared her wings and stamped her hooves as she said, "It recanted the tale of how I fell into darkness and how you and _you alone_ used the Elements of Harmony to imprison me in the moon."

"I know of it," Celestia said coyly, digging at the ground a little with her hoof.

Luna whirled on her and said harshly, "_You wrote it!_"

Celestia turned away from her sister and looked at her reflection in the water. "Sunfire Star was a bit obvious I guess."

A wind whipped over the water and rustled the waters, disrupting Celestia's reflection and forcing her to turn to face her younger sister. Her eyes were blank white and only the noonday sun prevented her from drawing her full power. Celestia looked pityingly at Luna, and said "Luna, it's been so long, surely the tales have..."

"**No! I will not accept thine lies. I am thy sister. Thy equal,"** Luna said, raising into the sky, a breeze whipping around her. "**Thou willst not patronize me or treat me like a filly any longer. I demand to know why thou hast lied; why thou hast removed the true history and planted falsehoods in its stead**.

Celestia faltered momentarily at her sister's unexpected wrath, but focused for a moment on her own power, bringing stillness to the winds. When calm reigned, she lowered her head in submission. "I did not think any pony else needed to know, sister."

"**Know the truth of thine failures? The friends thou sacrificed? GEIST? What say your books of him?**"

"Nothing. And I am sorry for that, but...I thought it was better this way. The truth...the truth can hurt, dear sister. And our truth is awful, I'm afraid. I'm afraid of what other ponies would think. I'm afraid of opening old wounds. The truth can be terrifying, you should know, once the proud bearer of Honesty."

Luna seemed to deflate at that. "I was, once..."

Celestia walked over and cautiously nuzzled her sister. "I left it out because no pony would be left alive today who knows. I did not think every pony needed to know of _our_ failures and mistakes from a thousand years ago."

Luna looked down at the grass. "It was not a thousand years ago for me..."

"And I am sorry Luna, deeply sorry. We lost friends. We made mistakes. And over a thousand years, I've attempted to undo all the damage we did." Celestia move beside her sister, rubbing up against her like a mother comforting a foal. "I've tried to see to it that the world would accept your eventual return."

The smaller alicorn looked into her sister's eyes. "History sees you as the hero-"

"-but it does not see you as the villain," Celestia replied

Luna pushed away from her sister and walked over to one of the willow trees before turning around. "Does it not? In Ponyville they think I devour foals. In Trottingham I appear at night to warn of death, or cause it. In Stalliongrad they think I hide my heart in a _duck_ for some reason."

Celestia laughed breezily, "Oh, that one was funny..."

"TIA!"

"What? It's an amusing myth. They barely remember what happened because of it." She looked at her sister's eyes, and her smile reversed itself. "Luna...that's not you. That's Nightmare Moon."

Luna stamped a hoof and said, "We are one in the same!"

Celestia recoiled, then settled herself. "No. You are not Nightmare Moon. Please don't ever say that."

Celestia sighed, walked over and lay down beside her sister. Luna cocked her head to one side, and joined Celestia. The white alicorn continued, "Ponies are just confused. Once the ponies get to know you like I do, they will see you as two very different ponies. Princess Luna will become the victim of the story, rejected by uncaring ponies and made vulnerable to dark forces. Possessed, forced to do horrible things, imprisoned in a demon, she repented and, with the help of Harmony, regained her rightful place in the diarchy."

Luna looked at Celestia and nodded gravely. "A moving story of fall and redemption. It's also a _complete_ fabrication."

"It's true in the broad strokes. Nightmare Moon is the monster. You were the princess trapped within, now free."

Luna covered her head with her hooves. "That's what I am trying to tell, you sister! That's not true! I was Nightmare Moon. She was more myself than I am now."

Celestia frowned, "Why do you keep saying that, Luna?"

"Because it is true. You don't know what happened. You don't know..."

Celestia nuzzled Luna, "You're right, I don't. You never talk about that time, and I was not there for a good portion."

Luna brushed her sister away. "I'm...not sure I want to. I'm not sure _you _want to know."

Celestia placed one hoof on her sister's shoulder. "I do. I don't care how bad it is, you are my sister and I _need_ to know, and I think you need to talk about it. At least to me.."

The dark sister sighed, "It started with the dragon. Nightflame. When you sent me to deal with her."

"I thought that went fairly well?" Celestia asked, cocking her head to one side.

"It did, but...on the way back..."

"Why don't you start with the dragon and we can work forward from there."

* * *

A thousand years ago...

Luna walked up the mountain path. She was wearing the full regalia of her station, the crown of Magic, mantle of Honesty, and collar of Loyalty. The mountain path was rocky and barren, situated between the badlands of the north and the greener pastures of Equestria. The ground here was rough, but there was a certain order to it. There was a hint of long forgotten stairs leading up this path. Night was falling. This was her time, her element.

As she reached the end of the path she looked around her for the reason she came here. All around were ruins of the old time before Equestria. Vast marbled columns, now tumbled into dust. Statues of ponies, griffins, and other creatures forgotten to history, all the features stripped bare by the ravages of time and the unnatural forces that had ended the old civilization.

Luna paused before two statues that resembled alicorns, a mare and a stallion, sculpted in alabaster and basalt respectively. She had never met a male alicorn before. As she considered that, her eyes were drawn to their crowns. The long, slender horn on the stallion had broken off, while the mare's horn was mostly intact. They rose from crowns that Luna realized were actually made of smaller horns, not a separate ornamentation. The mare's face was one of great joy and infinite compassion, of love and beauty and hope. The stallion's was an inscrutable one of stoic contemplation, or sadness, or even disapproval. His eyes were not even visible behind the shadow cast by his hoodlike mane; possibly not even sculpted in.

"Dad? Mom?" she said to herself. Luna placed one hoof on the stallion's front hoof, and lowered her head in reverence to her long-missing parents. The true king and queen of Equestria.

Her quarry moved silently, but she felt it clearly as it took up perch behind her, across a rift in the mountain pass and on a pile of rocks. She did not turn, instead extending her perception out of her body and into the growing shadows. It was colossal. Bigger than an ursa minor. So huge she was but the size of one of its fingers. Its enormous bat-like wings furled around it, a mottled dark brown that was almost black and blended in well with the rocks at night. Its long, serpentine head was held low against its body, so a less keen observer would see it as a part of the rock formation.

"**Nightflame.**" She said.

"**You are not Celestia,****" **it replied with a voice like an avalanche.

"**Indeed, We are not our sister."** Luna spun around and said, **"You are most observant.**"

"**Your sister cannot deign to meet with me in mine own territory? She insults me by sending the lesser sister.****"**

Luna gritted her teeth at being called lesser, "**And you insult Equestria by refusing your proper tribute.**"

There was a sound like two continents banging together and she realized the dragon was laughing.** "****I do not give tribute to the dead.****"**

Luna widened her stance and leveled her horn at the massive beast. "**And what doest thou mean by that, kin of Discord, spawn of Tiamat?**"

"**In due time, Princess. In due time. The end is beginning. Equestria will fall. Harmony will die. My tribute is meaningless."**

Lightning rent the sky, and the dragon glanced upwards at the gathering clouds, and back down to Luna as she shouted, her voice cracking slightly, "**You cannot know that!**"

"**Yes, you know we can, oh Honest Luna. Dragons are a solitary race. We do not pass our teachings on to future generations, we allow them to fend for themselves."**The beast unfurled its wings and created a rush of wind that pushed Luna back a step, **"As such, we have no need for the hindsight of age. We do not reflect upon our mistakes or our triumphs."**

"**Get to the point. Our time is valuable.**"

The dragon laughed again. **"Doest thou know the Prophecy of Gloom? Probably not. Search for it in thy library, it will tell thou more than thou ever wished to know.****"**

"**Thou didst not answer our question, Nightflame.**"

"**My age has gifted me with foresight, so I can see glimpses of what will come after my demise. It is coming soon. The storm and the horde. War. Destruction from the sky. Countless dead. Myself included. This will be my last clutch."**

"**We do not believe you.**" Luna could tell the dragon believed itself but... "**These...these things you speak of, they do not have to come to pass. Foresight, even from a wyrm, can be wrong.**"

"**Believe what you wish. I refused tribute solely to draw Celestia here and have this discussion. And she insults me by sending **_**you**_**?****"**

The dragon breathed a gout of deep crimson flame into the sky, illuminating the night in responded with a lightning bolt from the heavens, striking the dragon right on the tip of its upraised nose. Nightflame bellowed in pain and raised its wings to shield itself from further assault from above, while a blast of power from Luna struck its softer underbelly and forced it a step back. The Princess's horn glowed with the wan light of the moon, leveled at the dragon like the deadly weapon it was.

"**You will give us what you owe by ancient pact. Two eggs from your latest clutch, as payment for our forgiving thine support of Discord.**"

"**Take them."** Nightflame said, stepping off its perch, unfurling its wings and leaping into the air, **"My part in this is done."**

Luna looked at the clutch of eggs that the dragon had been shielding with its body.

"**That is all? No more explanation, nothing to say?**" Luna shouted after the retreating dragon. She stamped her hooves and gathered power around her horn. "**Do not ignore me, dragon!**"

"**Care for the eggs, Princess Luna. They will be the only ones to live.****"** The dragon said, as it disappeared over the ridge. Luna considered flying after her, but merely sighed and took the two expected eggs with her telekinesis. In the dark, and with the dragon gone, Luna freely took to the air and flew back towards Canterlot, flying over hill and dale with her precious cargo.


	2. Chapter 2

**Millennium Eclipse: Chronicles of Luna's Fall, chapter 2**

**A My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic Fanfiction**

**By Lucky Stampede**

**DISCLAIMER:This is a non-profit fan-made work of prose. My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic is the property of Hasbro. Please support the official release.**

**Author's Note: Patience is a virtue. Expect 60K+ words of virtue. Credit to Doctor Who for the prophecy.**

**Uploader's note: This fic is the labor of Lucky Stampede, my friend who asked me to host his story on my account. So please direct all praise to him, not me.**

* * *

Luna flew southwest through the night sky towards the shining spires of Canterlot, eggs safely in tow. She scanned the ground below, watching the nightly dance of predator and prey with detached interest. As she approached the core of Equestria the lands grew lusher and more verdant. It was slow going with the eggs, but with the wind in her mane, the cool of the night, and the beauty of the stars above, she was enjoying herself. As she hit the pasture lands, Luna drifted due south, taking a long route back to the castle, over Trottingham and the Marewood Forest, gliding low over the city and woods.

None who looked up would see her. As she swept down over the road between Trottingham and the Marewood Forest, the princess gasped. Midway between the town of Trottingham and the Marewood Forest, two ponies lay unmoving on the road. Gently, she came in for a landing. She set down the eggs and rushed to their aid, soon seeing other figures around them. Wolves.

"**Thou wouldst break our ancient pact and prey on ponies?**" she shouted at the wolves.

Lightning raked the sky and the wind stirred the trees of the nearby forest. The wolves all shrank back from the furious alicorn. Luna bent over the prone ponies and realized she recognize them. In passing, but they were familiar to her. Nobles. Scions of her sister, members of the court of Canterlot. What were they doing so far out here? They had nothing on them either, no bits, no jewelry, no fine clothing.

Luna turned towards the cowering wolves, speaking in the voice of Night that only the nocturnal creatures could hear. "**What knowest thou of this?**"

The response was not one that could be understood on the level of language. Vocally it was a chorus of growls, but it formed a series of images, merely instinctual descriptions of what the wolves had seen. Two ponies trotting down the trail. Assaulted from all sides by green-cloaked figures. Left dead or unconscious on the ground. The scent of blood, instinct overpowering ancient bonds. Wolves moving in to easy prey.

Luna scowled at the wolves as they cowered together. The largest and strongest was standing at the front of the pack, ready to accept whatever judgement she dispensed. It bared its teeth and growled at her, but it was halfhearted. Almost a whimper.

"**Thou art not responsible for this atrocity, but do not touch these ponies. Guard them from other predators until morning, then howl until the guards of Trottingham come. We will deal with this outrage ourselves.**"

The wolves nodded, and bowed to her authority over the Night. Luna was torn. On the one hand, these eggs needed to get back to the castle. On the other, something needed to be done right now. In the end, duty won, and she left her wolves to their task. She trusted the guards of Trottingham to handle the bodies. Luna gathered the eggs with her magic and flew back to Equestria to report this to her sister.

At Canterlot, Luna left the eggs with the gameskeeper and sought out her sister. By now, the sun was beginning to rise. She wandered the castle grounds, looking for Celestia but not following any particular course. Her path brought her towards the willow pond, where she tripped over a small pegasus filly.

The filly was lying on the grass and blended in with her surroundings perfectly. Her coat was a light green and her mane a thickly braided dark green, looking for all the world like a pile of moss.

"Oh, Princess Luna..." the filly said in a delicate voice, "...I'm sorry for startling you."

"It's...quite alright...Mistletoe, is it? Thou werest nigh unto invisible there. Thy hair shouldst perhaps have some red or..." she surpressed a shudder, "...pink, for greater visibility."

Mistletoe cocked her head to one side and asked, "Do you not like pink?"

"Err..no, we like pink just fine it's...just...not for us." The dark princess smiled. Or at least showed her teeth.

Mistletoe giggled, "That's a good idea, Princess! Thank you!"

"Think nothing of it...what pray werest thou doing there, anyway?"

"I was just watching the grass grow," Mistletoe said with complete earnestness.

Luna blinked. Several times.

"Thou...werest...is that not tiresome?"

"Sometimes, but then I go to sleep and when I awaken it's grown even more." The filly smiled serenely.

"Perhaps thou shouldest watch bamboo? We hear it grows quite fast."

"Oh no, I prefer trees and grass. Much slower." She turned back to the grass and continued to stare intently at it.

The silence stretched on until Luna finally broke it by saying, "Mistletoe, hast thou seen Princess Celestia?"

"Oh, she normally comes visit me here. She's one of my best friends. Hey, you can wait with me! That willow tree needs to be watched. I think it's growing slower than the one beside it."

Luna sighed and joined Mistletoe in watching the plants grow. The wind whistled gently through the willows, scattering a few leaves. She didn't see any growth but found it very restful. For a moment, she found herself relaxing and not thinking about what had happened that night. She didn't even notice when her sister arrived and cleared her throat.

"CELLY!" squealed the green filly, as she ran over and rubbed up against the alicorn's long legs.

"Sister," said Luna, standing up.

"Loyal Luna, looks like you have made a new friend. She already has you watching the plants, I see." Celestia smiled at them both.

Luna replied, "Yes, sister. She is...a special pony."

Celestia nodded and said, "If only you knew how special she was."

She took aside her sister for a moment and asked, "Celestia, I am not questioning your judgment, only your reasons. Why have you as late made a habit of bringing orphans into the castle?"

"Pure altruism, Luna," Celestia said slyly.

The midnight alicorn narrowed her eyes, "Somehow, I fail to believe that. You always have an agenda."

"Oh, you'll see. You'll love it I'm sure." Celestia smiled.

Luna shook her head and resigned herself. "Tis no use trying to get any more out of you."

Concern crossed Celestia's face. "It is not like you to give up so quickly. What's wrong, Luna? Did your meeting with Nightflame not go well?"

Her younger sister told Celestia almost the entire story. She left out the statues of their parents in the mountain ruins. Celestia listened intently as she discussed the encounter with Nightflame, and grew very concerned when she discussed the Marewood Forest bandits.

She told of how the ponies had been left to their deaths along the road and Celestia gasped and reared back when she described them. "I know those ponies! Wine and Mead Cask. They were my...several times great grandchildren!"

"As are most of the nobles. What is to be done, Tia?"

Celestia was lost in thought for a moment. "Such things are not unheard of. It is shameful how many ponies are pushed to desperation on the fringes, and from there always comes unhappiness and with it, violence."

Luna sighed. "Sister, we've spent centuries building Harmony in Equestria. Do they not take our lessons of the Elements to heart?"

"They do, mostly..." Celestia said. By now they had wandered further into the grounds, past the rose bushes, vinyards, and hedge maze, and by now they were well away from most of the groundskeepers. "Sometimes it is simply too hard to love and tolerate others. Sometimes ponies feel they are not worthy of the same."

"I did not see that. I saw ponies dead from base greed."

Celestia closed her eyes and seemed lost in thought for a moment. "We could have the Sheriff of Trottingham take care of this. He is a good pony. Very fair."

Luna shook her head. "No...I think we need to take care of this ourselves. Make an example."

Celestia smiled obscurely. "That's a good idea. We should see who we're dealing with first, though. Share my Sight for a moment, and let us find out more about these cloaked bandits."

Luna nodded, and the two sisters moved together and touched horns. Celestia extended her Sight into the sun, and cast it down through the suns rays towards Trottingham. The sun's gaze scoured the city, sweeping from building to building, until it spotted a mare in a large green cloak.

"There!" Luna said. "That is one of the cloaks the wolves saw."

"Hush, sister." Celestia said, keeping her eyes closed, "Do not break concentration."

The unwavering gaze of the sun followed the green-cloaked mare into a bakery. Through the wide windows they watched as she purchased a large quantity of bread and carried it out. She stopped at several shops in turn, until her saddlebags were burdened and she trotted back into Trottingham Woods.

Luna stirred and stamped her hoof, "We should gather the guards and the chariots. Chase her and her companions down while we still can.."

"Patience, sister."

It was hard tracking her through the woods. The sunlight was dappled and barely filtered through the trees. When it became too difficult, Luna took control and watched through the shadows. Together they traded off and followed her. The younger sister furrowed her brow and focused more, stamping her hooves and shifting side to side. Celestia admonished her to remain calm, and Luna went still, as the bandit reached a shaded clearing.

The clearing was full of makeshift lean-tos, tents, and treehouses. There were guard stations posted around it, ponied by pegasi. All present wore green cloaks that blended in well with the foliage, even in broad daylight. The cloaks covered their cutie marks and their otherwise brightly colored fur. Most were earth ponies, but there were a couple pegasi and unicorns as well. The pony they had been following pulled back her hood, revealing herself as a light green, almost white colored unicorn. She had a bright crimson mane the red hue of a rose.

"Friends! I have returned, and bring a feast!"

It hardly qualified as a feast. It was barely enough food for every pony present, and more revealed themselves. Foals came out of the huts to greet here. There were cries of "Rose!" all around from foals and adults alike. The crowd gathered around, looks of anticipation and joy on their faces as she distributed the bounty. The foals ate first, fillies and mares next, then the colts, and finally the stallions. Rose Thorn did not eat at all.

One pony, a tall skinny earth stallion, walked up to her after everypony broke off to eat, and said, "Dear Rose Thorn, if I may, despite our great bounty from this escapade, we are barely bringing in enough food for our foals, let alone us stallions. Granted, the forest's bounty allows us to eat, but not well. We should take a more aggressive stance in dealing with Trottingham, and the nobility of Canterlot."

"I know your opinion, Soaring Call, I just disagree with it," said Rose. "I do appreciate you providing this for us, but we will not make enemies of Equestria or the Princesses."

"Well, it was not entirely my doing," Soaring Call said. "I must give proper credit to my compatriots, Golden Shine and Stone Hammer. They were truly the architects of our current abundance. "

Luna bristled at this, and broke the concentration.

Celestia sighed and said, "So, does that change your perspective?

"A bit, sister," Luna acknowledged.

"You see? Every pony does things for a reason."

"That does not change that two ponies died because of those bandits."

"No, it does not." Celestia nodded assent and said, "We don't always see the consequences of our actions. Likewise, we don't always know why ponies make the choices they do."

"Your compassion knows no bounds," Luna said dryly.

"Still, if you wish, I can gather the guards to avenge my kin. Now that we know their location, we can go in force to the bandit camp. Our pegasi will bombard them from above while our combat unicorns dismantle their homes and turn every twig into a weapon. Their foals will be taken in protective custody and every adult pony tried and probably executed for their crimes."

Luna stood, slack jawed and gaping at her sister.

"Just kidding." Celestia laughed. "Come on, you know I would not do that."

Luna scratched at the dirt and paced, "I do, but...we have to do _something_."

"I try not to take part in the day to day affairs of ponies. We should be an example, not rulers."

"Easy for you to say, Sister," the younger princess said darkly, "You are both, and I am barely either."

Celestia wandered over to a nearby stream, that eventually fed into the willow pond. She dipped her snout in the water and took a drink. It was a moment before she looked up, then turned back to her sister.

"Luna," she finally said. "What if I leave this task to you?"

The younger alicorn reared slightly, one hoof off the ground. "Me? But I'm..."

"My sister," Celestia said, smiling faintly. "You are my co-ruler and equal. You are almost fully mature. You should have your own court, your own friends, your own lovers and your own foals."

Luna blushed.

Celestia got a sly look and leaned in close, "Oh, you did not think the nobles came from nowhere, did you sister?"

The younger sister rolled her eyes. "Sometimes I wish there weren't so _many_ of them..."

Celestia just said "Estrus is a harsh mistress..."

Luna remembered the recent deaths and looked down, but Celestia walked over and nuzzled her gently.

"Luna. I already have forgiven the bandits. Please try the same."

"I will, Tia." She said and nuzzled her older sister back.

Luna pondered her next move, scowling deeply. She was in a strong position and could press forward with ease, but something seemed off. She had missed something vital, she just couldn't figure out what it was.

"So what did she say next?" the old grey pony asked as he moved his chess piece.

"She told us to come visit thee, for our weekly game," she said as she promoted a pawn. She looked up at her opponent and smiled smugly.

Starswirl frowned. "I thought you enjoyed our games?"

"Oh, no...of course we do!" She was quick to clarify. "We just thought the bandits should be handled with haste, to which she said 'friendship is more important.' We could not believest it. It was our own flesh and blood. Distant, but.."

Starswirl nodded. "I've worked with you both all my life, as most of my line has. I understand what she was saying. Friendship _is_ magic after all. Besides, would it not be best to go in your full power at night?"

He made one more move that put her in mate.

"But...we hath two princesses!"

The old wizard laughed. "I could spin your play style into a metaphor for your approach to life, but I think you've heard enough aphorisms from your sister for today."

Luna scowled, and batted her Alicorn down so hard it went to the floor. She crossed her hooves foalishly, huffed and said, "We at least thank thee for that."

"So much older than I, and yet so immature," he said, not unkindly. Starswirl IV was an old pony, from a long line of sorcerers to the Princesses. He wore a large, battered hat that festooned with bells that had been passed down through the ages, and a similar robe. He lacked his more famous ancestor's great beard, though he did have a small tuft of grey on his chin.

"Eternal youth can do that to a pony," Luna said with a chuckle.

Starswirl chuckled. "Indeed. I remember back when I was but a foal, apprenticed to my father, learning the ways of magic. You were just the same as you are now, spending all your time in this library...and yet I doubt you have even read half the books in here."

"Speaking of which.." Luna said. "We heard of a book, the Book of Gloom. We believe it has some information we seek."

Starswirl started. "The Book of Gloom? Did...Celestia tell you about that?"

Luna raised an eyebrow, "No...it was Nightflame, the Dragon. So sister of mine knows of it?"

Starswirl sighed. "Yes. She does. When Equestria was founded there were many threats, and as you were but a filly, your sister battled most of them. The Witches of Gloom were among the worst."

"They must hath been really bad ponies." Luna asked.

"Not even ponies," he said, switching quickly into lecture mode. "They were...something else. From another world, it's left the Book of Gloom behind, and it is stored in the locked section of the library."

He looked at the chess board, and clapped his hooves. "And since you lost again, it's your turn to clean up."

"What is in this book?" Luna said, using her telekinesis to put away the pieces. "Is it even safe to read?"

"It's safe. There's no enchantments on it that I can tell. It's just your typical mixture of spells, formulae, prophecies, and insane ravings." He walked over towards a locked and barred door of heavy oak and iron bandings. "I can show it to you, it's quite a sobering read."

"We would appreciate that, Starswirl."

Starswirl unlocked the door, and looked around. There were a lot of books in the forbidden vault that Luna had never seen before, but he quickly found the only one that she was interested in and levitated it over to her. She took control and levitated it over to a podium, and quickly leafed through the distasteful tome.

There were all sorts of spells in here. Dark magic that could do things even beyond her godlike power, but she knew there had to be a price. The dead could be raised, the living prevented from death. Entire lands could be destroyed by a living tidal wave called Smooze. There were ravings against everything that might be considered good or decent in the world. The rants against ice cream were almost surreal in their vehemence.

Finally, she found what she was looking for. The Prophecy of Gloom. The End of Equestria:

_Castles fall when alicorns go to war _

_Night will rise and strike the sun _

_When alicorns go to war _

_Friendship lies and true love dies _

_Light will fall and the dark will rise _

_When alicorns go to war_

_The battle's won but count the cost _

_Heroes fall and the princess lost_

_When alicorns go to war_

She stared at the page for a while. "Starswirl...what say thee on this?"

Starswirl trotted over and read the passage himself, lips mouthing the words as he scowled.

"Well...I would not let it trouble you. I've read it before and I do not put much stock in it." He shook his head, "Prophecies need not come true, and trying to act on them one way or another can bring them about. It is best to act of your own initiative and not let your life be guided by the ravings of witches."

Luna closed the book. "We're troubled nonetheless. The dragon Nightflame told us not only of this book, but of the prophecy specifically."

He scratched his beard with a hoof. It was smaller than his more famous ancestor's, yet still notable on a pony. "That _is_ worrying. Well, even if the prophecy is true, the clause of the prophecy is clearly that alicorns go to war. Equestria has had war in the past, with griffins, zebras, and others, but..."

"Never hath me nor my sister taken the field in true war." She thought of the bandit camp, and how she was tasked to deal with them. "Thou don't thinkest the bandits hath a role this?"

"No, that is too easy...prophecy is never straightforward. Regardless, I would advise you take an even hand, my liege. Be as gentle with them as you can."

The princess cocked her head to one side, "We thoughtest thou said not to let prophecy guide our lives?"

"I would give the same advice regardless." Starswirl IV bowed, and said "I enjoyed our game Princess. Next time, just protect your leader better."

Realization hit Luna, and she smiled. "Thou art a genius, Starswirl!"

"Erm, yes. Of course! Uhh...Princess, what did I say?"


End file.
